Anonymous,
You are absolutely not the problem. There is no question that there are a large number of real chronic pain patients out there deserving of the highest level of care that we can provide. People like you.
It is the bad apples that have caused these problems. Thanks for pointing out to me something that escaped me in my original post: all of this does make legitimate patients feel guilty, even when they have done nothing wrong.

1996 – Physicians in the US treat pain conservatively. Their practice pattern is shaped by many forces, including concerns about patient safety, chemical dependence, and diversion of prescribed opiates. Pain in many patients is undertreated. 1999 – The Veteran’s Health Administration announces...